Crawfish & Barbecue: Staples At Spring Gatherings – Louisiana Eats – It’s New Orleans

Getting together with family and friends is something Louisianians do best and in springtime, the weather s just right for barbecues and crawfish boils. This week on Louisiana Eats we re going around the state to investigate two primary foods that feed the masses this time of year. Sam Irwin grew up in crawfish country, so his fascination with our state s freshwater crustacean seems natural. Sam s the first of many guests to discuss the crawfish, as well as Chris Jay and Scott Gold, who join the conversation with their own advice about the mudbug. Then we ll turn to members of the Southern Foodways Alliance for some insights into barbecue. Chef Drew Robinson talks about running a barbecue joint with over 30 locations, and John T. Edge discusses the peace making capabilities of a great smoked pig. CRAWFISH BISQUE Serves 8 Yields 3 quarts 4 lbs. boiled crawfish 3 lbs. crawfish tail meat Stuffing 1 4 cup flour for roux 4 T oil 1 2 lg. onion finely chopped 1 2 lg. bell pepper finely chopped 1 stalk celery finely chopped 1 tsp. thyme 1 sm. can tomato paste 1 4 tsp. black pepper 1 2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. salt 1 2 cup plain bread crumbs 1 T fresh parsley, chopped 3 green onions, thinly sliced 1 cup chopped crayfish tails 1 stick butter 1 2 cup flour for rolling heads Make a dark roux with the flour and oil. Add onions, then bellpepper and celery, and cook until tender. Add tomato paste and chopped tails. Add seasonings and simmer on low flame 10 15 minutes. Add bread crumbs, parsley, green onions, and butter. Fill each head with stuffing. Roll in flour and bake for 15 minutes in a 300 degree oven. Set aside. Crawfish Stock Take all peelings from crawfish, onions, celery, green onions, etc. and cover with 1 gallon of water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve stock. Bisque 3 4 cup flour for roux 1 2 cup oil 1 onion finely chopped 1 bell pepper finely chopped 3 stalks celery finely chopped 3 qt. crawfish stock 3 4 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 tsp. salt 1 2 cup tomato sauce 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 2 cups crawfish tails 1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced 2 bay leaves 2 T thyme Make a dark roux with the flour and oil. Add onions, then bell pepper and celery. Add rest of ingredients